Recess: Things Change
by BeybladeFan19
Summary: For one group of friends, everything was so simple, so sussed out, so perfect. But everyone knows that high school isn't perfect. People change, go down different paths. They might be who they once were. But follow the story of these special teenagers as they blaze their own paths, messing with love and friendship as they find out who they are and remember who they once were.
1. Meet TJ Detweiller

"_See ya real soon guys!"_

"_Bye TJ!"_

_Just saying goodbye to each other felt like an eternity, even though they all knew they would be meeting up in about half an hour to play. When they weren't hanging out together during Recess, their favourite time of the day and not helping each other with school work (Gretchen mainly doing the helping) they were constantly together. _

_Back in the days when they couldn't think about being a part. Oh the good ole days._

Theodore Jasper, otherwise known as T.J. Detweiler blinked awake and slowly sat up in his small bed. He rubbed his firmly shut eyes with the back of his hand, swinging his short legs out of the bed. T.J was short for his age, at sixteen he was about half a head shorter than other dudes his owner age. Having stumpy short parents, he had always thought he wasn't to get the tall gene but to be fair, being short suited his character better.

He stood up, catching sight of his appearance in the floor length mirror on his wardrobe. TJ shrugged his shoulders uninterested, contempt that he looked the same as he did every day. His messy mop of a brown hair was, if anything getting more unruly. It was forming slight curls at the back and flicked outwards, just past his ears. He never cared about his hair however. He kept it neatly positioned under his traditional baseball cap. He smiled widely as his inner child came alive when he picked it up from the bedside table, throwing it into the air animatedly. He threw back his head and it expertly landed on top of his head, leaving only his sweeping fringe in view.

He then proceeded to exit his bedroom. He half expected to run into his older sister, Becky dashing in attempt to beat him to the bathroom to get ready. Despite only taking one second himself to splash some water around his face and brush his teeth (if he remembered), he would take pride in pushing her aside and running in just in front of her, locking the door. He would then take as long as he could get away with, before the two words that ended his fun instantly were shouted.

"**MUUUUUUUUUUUM! DAAAAAAAD!"**

However, there was no Becky today and had been no Becky for 7 years now. She had moved out just after graduating, to go to college at some place named Stanford which apparently was a big deal. Judging by the way my mother fainted and then got up and danced round the living room, Stanford was a college to be proud of going to. At the time, TJ simply blinked and naively piped up with "as long as you get enough time for recess, sounds good". The laughs in my face weren't exactly helpful for a 10 year old who didn't have a clue what was going on.

Her going away party they planned for her was one of the biggest shindigs he'd ever been and this includes "King Bob's" 13th birthday bash. But that was another story. He knew this party was a big deal when his father broke out the "no hat today TJ, I mean it!" He muttered rudely "this whomps" and let my mother comb my hair back, sulking until his friends arrived, all equally as disturbing looking in their best clothes.

The only one who looked remotely happy in their formal attire was Gus Griswald, who smiled proudly, straightening his suit tie. Coming from a military background, the boy loved getting dressed up in suit and tie. These days he was pretty much the same…well not entirely.

It wasn't surprising in the slightest when Gus dropped out after sitting his last set of exams last semester, going straight into the family business. No-one knew whether it was extra dosage of gym that he opted for instead of Calculus that had sent him over the edge but the guy had been seriously addicted to working out. Everyone was surprised, especially when he showed up for Yearbook photos, wearing a suit which was tightening around his bulging biceps. As soon as the yearbook was realised, TJ compared it to the small pocket sized copy of the photo hidden at the back of my wardrobe taken in elementary, running his finger across the small, frail wimpy kid he used to be.

Looking back, it was going to happen. He was bullied in elementary school and then middle school and therefore, by high school his level of tolerance had snapped. I began to see less and less of him, only seeing him either in the gym, flexing his muscles or jogging around the block like ten million times a day. The scary part was not even Vince, who was the star of the basketball team, football team AND cross-county squad didn't seem to do near enough exercise as him.

Gus had been an easy target and TJ couldn't blame the guy for having enough. It was actually him himself who got him a gym membership in the first place. Being small, he couldn't eat everything I wanted and still being a lean mean fighting machine. Something had to give. So in middle school, they went to the local gym and signed up, together. Vince already had a membership. He'd been going since Kindergarden. Yeah, in the juniors section.

Obviously.

TJ still spoke to Gus, though for the past 3 months they been on summer vacation so it's only been through Facebook. He seemed happy, though incredibly disciplined. His profile picture is of him in army uniform, with his parents beside him. Gus had mulled over something the last time we had spoke, about his mum being upset when he enlisted. No one couldn't blame her though. This meant that for most of the year, she would be alone at home, while her husband and son were on military duties.

"She looks so lost" TJ's mom had commented over dinner and he thought to myself: I know how that feels.

Splashing some icy water on his face, TJ shivered and fully awakened. He leaned his fairly muscular upper body over the sink for a minute, staring at his dripping wet teenage face. TJ wasn't vain, well not on the same scale as some of the other guys. He rarely shaved, choosing to let his chin grow a small bushy stuble until deciding to give it a quick shave a few months later.

His bathroom products consisted of soap and water, while he knew for a fact that Vince used three types of mouister, gel for his hair and even used to wax his legs when the annual swim meet came around. It was pretty shocking, consisting he had the reputation of being such a macho athletic type of guy. Still, TJ didn't care. Vince was a good guy and if he liked to be a bit feminine, so be it.

He had one slightly strange bathroom item however. He reached under the sink and withdrew his "Senior-Fusion" male aftershave. It was held in an ice like figurine of the Super-Hero, very childish. He had received it for a Christmas present one year and loved it, mainly for the Senior Fusion element. He had hated funny smells at the time and never used it, discovering it years later and thanked his mom for not letting him throw it out. TJ spritzed around himself, dabbing at his developed jaw line before pushing it to the back of the cabinet.

Lazily leaving the bathroom, he ran into his mom coming up the staircase.

"For once I don't need to wake you up. And it's the first day of school today. It's a miracle!" she sarcastically called.

"Ha ha, Very funny."

"Oh, Theodore?"

"Yes, mom?"

"She called again last night…"

"AND?!" he spun round, hovering in the doorway. Again?

His heart rate accelerated and his palms became strangely sweaty, side effect of his nervousness.

"Well?!"

"I told her the same thing that I do every-time dear: you're not home."

"Thank god"

"But TJ, must you ignore her? She must have a good reason to call you ten times a day. You used to be such good friends, can't you talk to…"

"No mom, I can't" he cut her off briskly and perhaps, in a bit tense tone of voice, something his mother picked up and mumbled "charming" before plodding off along the hall. He sighed and slammed his door shut. He banged his head against the door, over and over, every bump hitting his head a little harder. Stupid TJ.

Stupid, stupid.

What do you do when you make a mistake so huge that it seems to have a ripple effect on everything and everyone you know?

TJ knew it wouldn't seem so huge if she hadn't made such a big deal about it. Ideally, TJ would have hoped it would have disappeared, never to be talked about ever again. He knew that what he wanted wasn't going to happen when he had strolled into school the weekend after and met her gaze. Mixture of guilt and regret came flooding back instantly and now, he couldn't even bare to look at her. He was adamant that he hadn't done anything wrong anyway. It's not like they even going out.

She had acted so, out of character. Everything became awkward. TJ suddenly dreaded the majority of his classes, since she was in every single one. They didn't sit together, which was good but still uncomfortable when he knew and could feel her hot, angry gaze beading into the back of his neck. He wondered if this silly quarrel was what started the single thread the group had together to unwind but shook it off, reminding himself that it was due of everyone's commitments to different interests, not their somewhat strange relationship.

He shoved on his black jeans and a loose white t-shirt, finishing off his look with a scruffy pair of tennis shoes. He heard the familiar toot of the horn from outside and tossed a wave out the window before pushing his cap round the other way and speeding out the door.

"Not having breakfast son?" his father called from the kitchen, turning the page of the large newspaper and sipping his coffee.

"Nah, no time dad"

"Your mother won't be pleased"

"Say I had a bite of toast or something"

"Always do son" he winked and sipped from his mug, making TJ smirk and think his ole man had the easy life. He worked from home most days, with the use of the Internet, he could sit in bed, type some emails and be done for the day. AND he got paid a good bundle for doing it. TJ envied him.

"See ya!" he called, not waiting for a reply as he raced out the door. He jumped the front door steps, cursing as the front door which had only just slammed shut swung open and his plump mother ran outside and embraced him tightly. He heard sniggers from the car behind him and groaned, but accepted her motherly efforts.

She went to clean his mouth, muttering something about toothpaste but he swiped her hand away. She looked a little crest fallen to which he sighed and squeezed her hand reassuring. She smiled.

"Have a good day Theodore"

"Thanks mom."

Finally escaping her grasps, he dived out into the street, running over to the small convertible parked at the side of the road. He propelled himself into the air and landed into the back seat, stretching his legs out as the driver and the passenger turned round.

"What took you so long?" Vince, the driver said cocking an eyebrow.

"The mother. Woman won't stop with the questions."

"Looks like it's the cuddles that kept you overdue to me, mamma's boy!"

"Shut up Lawson!"

Next stop: 6th Street High.


	2. Meet Ashley Spinelli

Ashley Spinelli gave a frightening yell and slammed shut her locker door, with such force that the whole row of lockers started to shake and unbolted. As she walked away, the row collapsed forward, unbolting 1 of the 3 bolts that attached them to the wall. They fell forward but stopped enough so they didn't crush any of the shrieking students that ran away from their falling lockers. Spinelli didn't care. She walked away, her face growing red with embarrassment and anger. Though, behind her anger was another emotion.

Heart- ache.

She sat on the high school toilet floor, hugging her once-constantly scrapped knees. The scraggly ends of her medium length black hair were soaked in her tears that rolled down her cheeks, tears that hurt with every blink. She clutched at her chest, wondering why it hurt. Jeez, she had been in a 1000 scraps and fights and never once had anyone ever been able to make her feel like this. It was like someone had given her a good kicking but a kicking she couldn't get right back up from give the idiot an even worse beating.

She heard someone come in the door and she got startled, stopping crying for a moment while she held her breath.

"I can't believe Coach Campbell suspended you from the squad for a whole week!"

"She must be jealous, what can I say? He's absolutely lush."

"And she caught you behind the bleachers, kissing, before school?"

"Yeeep."

"But that hat…hats are sooooooo last season."

"I don't care. I'll deal with a week. Come next week, I'll be back and on top of that pyramid. Just don't get too used to it up there, got it?"

"No sweat. No-one does cheerleading like you anyway Ashley."

"I know."

Ashley Spinelli knew the voices. How could you forget those shrill voices you spent all of Elementary, Middle and now, was in some of her high school classes? No, she knew them. All too well.

She held her breath (something she had set a prideful school-wide record in 5th grade) and listened to their little chitter-chatter, knowing expertly that they were probably fussing over their prissy little cheerleader outfits and smoothing their poker straight bleach blonde and vibrant red hair.

"How was he anyway?"

"Oh, he was absolutely delicious... tasted a little bit of root-beer though."

"Gross!"

They giggled, like silly pigs. No, pigs sounded better. Spinelli stopped crying momentarily, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She didn't know how it came to this, sitting on the bathroom floor, listening to teenage girls like Ashley Armbruster and Ashley Quinlan. She blamed herself. She blamed herself for ever being so stupid to even let herself get so attached.

"I'll never like a boy" she reheard herself proudly proclaim, at the age of 8 and her lower lip started to wobble again.

They were supposed to be best friends. They all were. But, she didn't know. Maybe because he had been her very first kiss…but to other girls, especially girls like the Ashley's, first kisses didn't seem to matter. She really didn't know why she was upset. It most likely had something to do with something he had said a few months when they were studying together at his house.  
"You know you should wear your hair like that more often."  
"Like what?"  
"You know, without your hat. You look…you know, nice or whatever."  
"Really?"

"Yeah, totally, now what did you get for question 5? I **really** hate algebra!"

It might have seemed like an innocent little comment to anyone else but to her, it felt like more. She had started wearing her hair down more, even going so far to let her mother straighten it, curl it and in the most- dire situation, crimp it out so even Diana Ross herself didn't compare. It was a lot of effort, meaning a lot of early mornings which always go down well with the average teenage.

All for a little attention which came mainly in the form of a small smile.

Oh, that one and only smile. That smile came in many forms. It curled upwards at the side sometimes, barely touching his cheek. This mainly occurred when his amused. This was the smile when she saw him, hanging out behind the football stands with Lawson and Vince. TJ wasn't like them. He wasn't part of the football team or the basketball team yet somehow, he seemed to have a more powerful personality than any of those guys. Maybe this was why he was so difficult to get off her mind.

Then there was the smile when he got a really good idea. That smile became less frequent prior to leaving elementary and ultimately middle school, the end of the prankster prince. Though you could still see it now and again. This was part of the reason she would "make sure" that she would be partnered with him for Chemistry, History AND Social Studies. It all looked a bit accidental but all those Amateur magician lessons from Ms Grokey served their purpose.

But her favourite smile of all the time was one which she had got the oddball notion into her head was saved specially for her. This probably explained the crushing feeling inside her heart about now.

She had been in her bedroom, pretending to her parents that she was getting an early start on homework for the summer but really, had no intention of doing that and was flicking through the sports channel, reminiscing her love for wrestling. She rolled her eyes and threw her favourite stuffed monkey at the television, crossing her arms. "Wimps" she mumbled, disgraced at how the sport had changed. She wondered if it had always been so rubbish and she had just been too young to notice but quickly rid herself of that notion. It was always better back then. Everything was.

Suddenly, her favourite ringtone rang loud out from where her phone sat on the dresser table. She dived across the room, knowing exactly who that specifically set ringtone was.

"Hello?" she said her heart pounding.

"Spinelli…" he said, some would call plainly but to her it sounded like a soft melody. She found herself smiling.

"Hey TJ, what's going on?"

"Not much but hey…you know how Lawson's parents are going out of town for the weekend right?"

"Um no?" She wasn't exactly the biggest fan of Lawson and frankly, the fact that TJ seemed to a bit more palsy with him these days turned her off. She thought he was overly cocky and enjoyed showing off…as hypercritical as that sounded, the look didn't work for everyone.

"Well, they are…and Lawson's throwing another party. I thought you'd want to go but I'll understand if you don't want to. I'm going but so is pretty much everyon…"

"Sure!" she almost belted out and covered her mouth, forgetting how loudly she had replied. She could almost feel him wimple in pain and yank the phone away from his ear as her screech echoed through the phone line. She bit her lip.

"Well, do you still remember Lawson's address?"

"I can't forget TJ'ed…" she laughed and her heart did a tiny little flutter when she heard him chuckle back to her in the background. It was one of their favourite memories. Back when Lawson had really ticked TJ off by making a rude joke about his mum being fat and TJ had only been able to enrol the ever so gutsy Ashley Spinelli into his plan for revenge. They had got as many rolls of toilet paper and had crept round his house (after spending half a day trying to find it; they were just kids after all) and covered it completely. They even were smart enough to wear ski masks, though now looking back Spinelli thought they looked pretty silly especially because hers wasn't really a ski mask, it was just one of her mother's thick black tights. She thought she looked awesome, with her pigtails hanging out through the legs of the tights. She snorted a laugh.

"Think everyone's going to start arriving about the back of 8, I'll see you then -can't wait!"

She quickly said goodbye but stayed online until she heard the familiar click of the phone cutting off on his end. She put the phone down and swung her legs out of bed and sat twiddling her thumbs for a moment. She got up and sighed, knowing what she must do.

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?" her mother, who she could see through her perfectly primped black hair was growing old. Thin lines of grey were etched through the mousy jet black mane. However this didn't mean she didn't put just as much effort into slowing the process down as much as possible. She sat at her dressing table, applying her nightly face creams, obsessed with reducing the lines under her eyes. Presumably from the stress of having to raise such a tomboyish girl, Spinelli thought.

"TJ just phoned. He's invited me to a party tonight. Can I…"

"Go? Of course you can!" her mother cried, jumping up rather excitedly for Spinelli's liking. In her hurry, she spilled a dab of the cream onto the silk velvet coating of the dressing table but she didn't care. Her daughter never came to her for these type of things so when she did, it was a moment she wouldn't take lightly. She grabbed her daughter's hand, touting as she inspected her thinly chewed nail-bed.

"What have I told you about chewing your nails? It's a dirty habit!"

"MOM!"

"Okay, okay!" she calmed it down, sensing her daughter already starting to pull away. She pushed her forward, plopping her down in the seat next to the dressing table. Barely two seconds after taking seat, her mother began brushing her hair, pulling her thick black curls back, getting the brush caught more than one or twice. Spinelli groaned and moaned as the brush yanked her face forwards and back.

"Could you be a BIT gentler mom?"

"Sorry darling, just so excited that my baby came to me to help her get ready. "

"I don't even know what I'm going to wear…"

"Oh I have an idea…" her mother grinned as her eyes sparkled and she seemed to pick up the brushing speed, making Spinelli have to grab hold of the table in order to stay in an upright position. She sighed as her mother moved away, giving her a chance to rub her throbbing head. No wonder she hid her hair under her hat. No way would she go through this all the time.

"Sequins or sparkles?" her mother piped up, sticking her head out of her overflowing closet. She squirmed, covering her arms over her developing chest.

"Neither…"

"You are impossible" her mother pouted. Spinelli rolled her eyes and put her head in her hands, her eyes surveying the dressing table. A family photo of year's age of a trip to a family wedding, one of the last times Spinelli had been put in a dress by her mother. She hated it.

She touched her mother's wedding ring, thinking it was beautiful. She was tempted to try it on but sat it back down, shaking the thoughts from her teenage head. This was when her mother re-surfaced fully, smiling uncontrollably as she held a small, simple but very flattering black dress across her arms. Spinelli raised an eyebrow as she approached her, crouching so she was her height. She had tears in her eyes, making her matching green eyes glimmer in the lightly lit bedroom.

"You're going to look so beautiful in this my little Ashley…"

She looked so happy that even Spinelli didn't have the heart to correct her. She allowed her to primp and pamper her further, letting her turn her white skin into a glowed tan complexion and turn her pale lips which only turned red when she chewed them hard so they bled, a deep rogue. She blinked as she saw a completely different girl, a girl that could actually fall into a category of beautiful. It reminded her of when she was taking part in that teenage beauty queen pageant to which she learned a big lesson. She licked her finger and curled a small black strand, laying it out over her right eye, giving her an edge. If she was going to be Cinderella for the night, she wanted to Mulan as well. Strong ANDbeautiful.

Her mother ribbed off her boyish t-shirt and slacks instantly, slipping on the short but concealing black dress over the short body. Because her mother was taller, it went a bit longer than it would on her but still stopped above the knee, something she was unused to. She blinked as she saw her bare legs, which was combined shortly with small black pumps. She smiled. Her mother had remembered that no way would heels would be worn as well as a dress.

Her mom stood back and the tears really hit home. She was sobbing, holding her hands up to her mouth.

"Ashley, you look so beautiful…"

"Mom… please, no crying…"

"You look like a _real lady."_

She didn't want to think what she was meaning by that. As far as she was concerned, because she liked boyish things and dressed like a boy, even talked and acted like one, it didn't mean she wasn't a lady. Her hidden feelings confirmed this.

"Can you give me a lift mom?"

"Absolutely…let me just call your father. He'll die when he sees you…" she squealed happily, going to hug her daughter but then brushed any strands off her dress, smoothing it. She treated her like a doll, precise and delicate. As her mother left the room Spinelli looked herself over, turning round, thinking she didn't look like herself. However, she knew that this was pretty, definitely a pretty look. She smiled and hugged herself when she thought of what TJ would say. How he would smile…

The ride to the party was filled with her mother staring over at her every two seconds, going on about how she must remember to sit cross legged and never, she repeated, never to forget to pull her dress down when she went to the toilet. She rolled her eyes and stared out the window. Ironic, she thought as her eyes picked up the familiar grey marble building looming over her as the car zoomed past the street she spent majority of her childhood on. Her small red mouth gaped open, to which her mother who was watching smiled.

"I thought we had time to take the long way there…"

"Thanks mom" she said, meaning the words with every breath. This was her special smile.

"Thanks for the memories guys" she muttered quietly as the building finally ducked out of view, fading into the background.

They drew up, close to the house but enough so that no one would see Spinelli getting dropped off. She turned to her mother who instantly embraced her, long enough so Spinelli had to tap her shoulder and remind her she had to get going. She nodded and blew her daughter a kiss as she stepped out of the car, into the warm summer air and began walking up the pathway to the house. Her mother sat in the car walking her ascends the steps into the house, her own smile dominating her. Her smile was truly for her little baby, the daughter she envisioned when she cradled her in her tiny pink blanket 16 years ago. She loved her, in all her tomboyish qualities but getting to spend time like this, melted her heart.

When she reached the house, she didn't even need to knock. The door was wide open, overflowing with people she recognised from school. She stepped through into the lobby, having to step over piles of shoes and jackets flung all over the place. She knew Lawson's mother who was a decorated home-maker would not be happy but since Lawson threw these parties every chance he got, he would be forgiven easily. The old spoiled youngest child problem.

Her feelings of loathing for the boy's party she was attending was confirmed even more when she saw him standing in the centre of the rather large living room, boasting about one thing or another. She would have completely side stepped him and the other chatting teens in the room if it hadn't been for the large boy who came bounding over and lifted her off her feet.

"Mikey…you're crushing me…" she both laughed and hissed as her old pal squeezed her tightly, his large arms surrounding her easily. After a brief moment he eventually released, setting her back on her now shaky legs. She wobbled slightly, letting him put a soft hand on her back to steady her.

"Thanks Mike…hey, what are you even doing here? I thought you…you know…"

"Hate Lawson as much as you do?"

"Shush!" she put a finger to his lips, looking around at the crowd surrounding them. No one seemed to hear them.

"Why?"

"Because you're kind of in his house? It's rude."

"So is dumping a crate of unfrozen fish sticks into the Glee Club and leaving it to rot for the night. Room sure stunk but did we get an apology? No way!" he wagged his finger dramatically. Mikey, like Vince had fallen into becoming involved with pursuing his own passions: the stage. At first when they had entered high school, Mikey had got the strange notion that he didn't need to join up to any clubs, that he would rather sit with Spinelli and Gretchen who sadly, were the only ones left spending their lunch breaks with each other. He had seemed so upset too when he broke the news to them, standing with his shoulders hunched holding his lunch tray, glancing across the room where the Glee club normally sat. He looked, so torn. Spinelli took pity on him and made the first move.

"Mikey…go sit with your friends. It's cool, we understand. Don't we Gretch?"

She didn't even look up from busily reading her textbooks to answer.

"But I don't want to…desert you…"

"Don't be such a drama queen" she punched his shoulder playfully, making light of the situation. He took another glance and turned his body slightly, looking back as she stood there.

"Go" she urged in a hushed tone. She walked him walking away, like a wounded puppy until eventually turned his head and started conversation with the small group he had now become a part of. She stood up in the bustling canteen until the slam of a rather hefty textbook brought her back down to Earth.

"I'm going to go study in the Library Spinelli, all this noise really does nothing for helping my cerebral cortex to concentrate" she spoke in a matter of fact tone, straightening her glasses. Spinelli smiled weakly. You couldn't be mad at Gretchen. This was just her. If anything, she admired her most for being the one to remain the same.

"Old Gretchen. I'll…see you later then? Right?"

Her response was a nod of the head and she stood up, swinging her heavily loaded with school boxes satchel over the shoulder. She acknowledged a goodbye and walked away, drawing looks from the popular cliché for her as per usual, strange fashion choices. She had the right mind to walk over and punch out every single one of those prim, perfect little airheads. If it wasn't for the smiling teenage boy wearing the baseball cap the wrong way chewing a sandwich, listening to their uninteresting chatter. She sat down and started to nibble on her own lunch, turning her head to stare out the window. It had started to rain. Rainy days.

She started to hum a familiar tune from long ago, a little rhyme they used to sing to amuse them when they were stuck inside because of the rain. She felt the sandwich become lodged in her throat…or maybe that was the bittersweet memories, making eating unpleasant.

"So why are you here?" she answered back.

"Well for starters, whatever my reasons may be, I am SO glad I did because look at YOU!" he emphasised, pointing up and down at her usually bean pole body. The dress did everything for her lanky little body, showing off everything she usually hid. She smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"My mom helped me to pick it out…"

"You let your mother dress you? Oh dear god, this party must be important to you" he said, leaning in, his glare making her freeze.

"Tell me: _who is he?"_

"Who is who?"

"The simply dazzling boy who's got you in such a hot blush, you're going as pink as a peach darling!"

She knew she was going red, even redder than the blush had intended for her cheeks to go. She was hot and warm under the collar, so much that she turned away from Mikey for a second and picked up a traditional red cup filled with what she assumed was alcohol. She gestured to Mikey who simply held a head up in protest, touching his throat.

"None for me S. I have a big audition coming up. I have to preserve my voice. The glee club is putting on a production of Chicago and I'm a sure thing for the lead. That Daphne thinks she can sing the pants of everyone but I say, what's the point if you can't dance as well as sing? I'm a triple threat, she can't compete. Little bitch"

"Oh…that's good…what's it called? Chicago? I've never heard of it…"

"Ashley Spinelli! You uncultured swine. I swear, we MUST have a girl's night where I introduce you to my classics collections. Little bit of Grease, Cats, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Les Miserables…did I say night? Make it a whole day. You need the enlightenment!"

"Okay Mikey…whatever you say" she laughed into her liquid which she thought tasted a little strong but then happily drank it. She had briefly promised her mother she wouldn't do any drugs or drink alcohol at this party but thought a little alcohol wouldn't hurt. She was 16. As her mother kept reminding her, she was a young lady with the ability to make sensible life decisions. Living a little wouldn't do any harm.

An hour and a half went by and still no sign of TJ Detweiller. She had gone through a few red cups and while unlike several girls around her, she was not passed out on the couch, she was feeling the affect. Mikey had moved on a short time ago, chatting to a few friends, ironically the one named Daphene.

"You know parties hot when you get Glee club freaks desperately turning up" she thought bitterly as she finished off her cup, throwing it onto the table with the rest of them. She wasn't normally this cynical about glee club. She had been the one to encourage the once shy Blumberg boy to try out at the beginning of the year. He had pussy footed about it; talking about it to the point she slammed her lunch tray down and confronted him.

"Do you or do you not want to join Glee club?"

"Well, yes but…"

"Then, case closed. You're auditioning. End of discussion."

She hadn't realised he would drag her to the mall to find a suitable outfit and rehearse a song, one which she slept through most of. However the part she was awake sounded beautiful and as she predicted, he got in. She wondered if she was joining for the love of singing and dance or whether to impress the Glee club tutor: Miss Salamoni. But when she saw him strutting his stuff when she sneaked in during rehearsals and the sly quick look he gave another cast members, Gregory she knew it wasn't for any other reason. He loved to perform.

She re-filled her cup and took another look at the ever-so dramatic Mikey (who in the presence of his artsy Glee club chums, preferred to be called Michael) before slipping out of the living room easily. She paused and wondered where TJ was. She fumbled in her pocket, thinking maybe he had called her. He had invited her personally. Wouldn't he want to hang out with her or something?

She ascended the elegant stairway, making sure to hold onto the white banister for good measure. On her way up the stairs, she passed girls from her class, pressed against the walls, necking members of the football team. One of these guys was one Vincent LaSalle. She couldn't fathom him these days, in front sometimes she never could. His ultimate popularity had gone to his head far too quickly and especially with this year's promise of getting a full scholarship if all goes well sports wise, he often behaved like a big headed idiot. She knew it didn't help, especially in a school where the Quarterback and star basketball player was treated like a God. His ego would naturally inflate but it was when she saw him now, leaning against a wall, acting like a big shot, his hands carefully perched on the cheerleaders perky little bum that she knew this wasn't her Vince she had fought next to during many a Kickball matches, often what felt like life or death situations.

She skipped past the romping couples and stumbled out onto the top landing, turning her head left and right. There were several rooms, though she couldn't read the name tags on each one as her vision had become blurry. She touched her temples, giving herself a second to re-gain herself before approaching the doors. She didn't even think about what could have been on the other side and now, as she sobbed quietly in the bathroom, she wished she had the sense to turn around and walk away. She couldn't get the picture out of her mind.

"TJ, are you in here?" she began. The room was dark and she automatically reached for the light switch, eliminating the dark bedroom instantly. What she saw drew her breath back and she had to lean in against the wall, as she was floored with so many different types of feelings.

"Turn out the light" a drowsy drunk blonde squealed as she rolled off the boy she was currently straddling. The scene was laid out like this: Ashley Armbruster laid across a boy with scraggly brown hair, to which her fingers were deeply entwined with. Her skinny legs were perched across his waist, meaning her tiny size 6 body held him down to the bed, though he hardly looked anything less than happy. They were kissing, rather passionately before Spinelli had interrupted. She wouldn't have been phased, having just past the other three slutty Ashley's on her way up, Ashley Q being the cheerleader to be so 'interested' in Vince's tonsils.

This seemed no different, that is until she saw the famous baseball cap hanging over the bed-knob at the foot of the bed. Her heart stopped and she seemed to gasp for air, something that drew the attention of both the couple.

"What? Are you still here? Get out of here" Ashley A instructed, lying on the other side of the bed, her narrow hip bones sticking out from under her loosely fitted cropped shorts. The boy sat up, brushing his hair with his hands, looking a little tired. His eyes looked up and she felt incredibly sad when their eyes linked, something passed between them. It was her worst fear. The next three words devastated her.

"Who are you?"

"An old friend…well I used to be" she replied as a tiny black tear ran slowly down her cheek. She slammed the door and exploded in a fit of emotions.

She ran from the house, behaving like a monster on a rampage. She even shoved a freshman to the floor and girls ran away from her when they saw her storming out. She stomped out the front door, determined to keep walking and not look back. She was going to walk home but the sight of Mikey waving at her next to a car drew her back. He ran up to her and hugged her, something she needed more this time than the time before.

"I know" he whispered, setting her off and transforming her back from a powerful monster to a silly little girl wearing makeup and mummy's clothing. He quickly offered her a ride home, in Gregor's car. True, it meant she was piled up in the car, crammed up next to Mikey and two other completely sober Glee club members. She would have cared about how this looked if she hadn't been crying. The warm hand that held hers was comforting though as she laid her head on Mikeys round belly, wanting to die.

"You'll find someone else" he whispered and he shook her head, shook it over and over, until she got to her house and then shook it as she ran up the stairs, alarming her mother. She shook her head and refused to believe that someone that held such a place in her heart could be replaced. She had fought with her feelings; her feelings were her biggest opponent. As a child with a teeny crush on her best friend in the whole world, to a girl who started to understand what liking someone really was and now as a young woman, who knew she was absolutely and truly in love. She cried herself to sleep that night and every night of the summer.

She felt incredibly let down, lead on by both herself and by him. Maybe they were just such good friends. But she made herself pretty, wasn't that what he wanted? Because as she cried, she knew she was a far better person than Ashley Armbruster. Far, far better person.

"Are you seeing him soon?"

"Probably though you know I'm seeing Robert also."

"Oh, he's yummy also! AND he's a college guy. Maybe hotter than TJ- who can tell?"

"Never have too many guys my dear Ashley"

She gritted her teeth and swallowed her tears, standing up and with her only ounce of energy, kicked back the toilet door she was hiding behind, making the two girls drop their eyelash curlers and makeup and jump away frightened.

"How DARE you talk about TJ like that?" she powerfully proclaimed, putting one hand on the sink as she snarled at the two cowering cheerleaders.

"He is NOT a piece of meat. He a great guy and he deserves a lot better than a girl like you Ashley. Your nothing but a little tart and would never treat someone as wonderful as TJ with the respect he deserves!"

She finished her speech and gasped for breath, just remembering she had been holding her breath the whole time. The two girls turned to each other, shocked and lost for words by this sudden arrival. However, ever the one to think quickly on the spot, Ashley A stepped forward and become the Queen B she had been born to be.

"Oh really, _Ashley Spinelli?" _emphasised the Ashley part, watching how her body rived at the mention of the association of their names.

"Since you so clearly know what's best for him, why don't you go get him?" She paused and smiled viciously when she looked at the floor. "Oh wait, I forget, he doesn't want you. You're just a friend. A friend and that's all you'll ever be…to anyone. You want to know why? It's simple. All you are with a boy with lady parts."

"Watch it…"

"Or what? You'll punch me out?" she fluttered her long butterfly eyelashes in her face. "I'd like to see you try. My daddy will have you expelled before you can say-_Ashley Spinelli. _Face it, TJ will never like you because he likes real women. Like me. All you'll ever be is a stupid girl, hanging around with a boy who knows he deserves more."

She bent down to get her makeup and turned back, her blonde hair only showing the evil smirk and glimmer in her heavily defined eyes.

"Oh and Spinelli? Just a heads up, he told me I'm the best kiss he's ever had. We've been kissing all summer…and more. So don't go dreaming about MY man. Like kissing you could ever compare…"

And that is how Spinelli wound up suspended for a month for kicking the head cheerleader in the face. ..Exactly 20 minutes after the start of a new school year. Not that much changes…does it?


	3. The Return of Gus

Gus didn't even bother getting up anymore. He just lay down on the ground and took the beating, tightening his body to try and repel the pain they were inflicting on him, He resisting squirming as he felt a cold wet spot hit his neck and a harsh kick into his side. He didn't make a voice. Retching in pain spurred them on.

"That's right. Stay down like the lowly worm you are" they hissed as they continuously spat on him. Eventually they gave up and with a final dig into the ribs; they walked off, muttering to themselves and laughing. They left him along, lying on the cold metal floor of the barracks. The room was deserted, with everyone being in the mess hall or training by themselves. Gus had been alone in the room, writing a letter to his mother before dinner when the door had squeaked open and the familiar group of 6 males, of which were all of higher rank than Gus strutted in. They walked towards him, making sure to bolt the door behind them. Their slick army bolts racked across the floor as they stomped towards him, surrounding him. The tallest grabbed him by the collar of his camouflage shirt and yanked him up into the air and flung him around the hall. He dropped his parchment. It fluttered delicately through the air and landed on the foot of their self- proclaimed leader who evilly, picked it up and began reading it, his smirk twitching.

"Think yourself rather highly do we Griswald?" he mocked as his rose an eyebrow, nodding. The taller general slammed his back into a sharp part of the metal wall, digging right into his skin. Gus could feel the warm liquid seep from his back but he remained quiet, knowing what they wanted from him. And that was to see him suffer.

"But of course, being the Generals one and only son, I suppose we could see why you would think yourself special" he scoffed before quickly scrunching the paper up harshly, dropping it below his boot and stomped down hard, turning his foot to the side to make sure the paper ripped right through into tiny fragments. He then stepped back and spat on it, over and over to make a large puddle on the floor. With a click of his fingers, Gus was dropped and flung forward, his dripping bloody back pushed in so his knees buckled and he dropped to the floor, his faces inches from his letter. Walking round from the pain riddled soldier, the man stooped down and swiftly grabbed a fistful of Gus's short tuffs of hair and yanked his head right back, giving Gus no reason but to squeal slightly, hissing through his teeth.

"Don't **ever** think you're special Griswald" he spat in his ear, grinding his teeth. Venom poured from his words and the others surrounding him egging him up didn't make things better. He shoved his face down into the dirt, the tiny fragments of his spit soaked letter sticking to his face as he turned his face, making sure to get every tiny pore on his face filled with the disgusting floor surface. When he finally felt satisfied, he released him, cackling as he listened to Gus gag and gasp for air. He got up from a crouched position and stepped back, allowing the others to implement a more forceful beating.

They kicked and punched, making Gus who was no weakling have to resort to curling into a ball for protection. They were stronger, bigger and more of them than there were Gus. Gus had learned a long time ago that fighting back only increased the pain he suffered. It didn't take long to really do enough damage but to the shaking young boy, it felt like years.

"Enough" their leader spoke and with that, they ceased and stepped back. He took a great sense of sick satisifcation from watching the boy squirm. Gus had excelled in training and had been praised openly, inspiring a sense of jealously. He was a new inexperienced little 16 year old boy but yet seemed to be more perfectly suited than anyone at military training. In short, he had shown up several of the officers who had decided then and there that this boy needed cut down to size. They made sure he was given extra shifts cleaning up in the mess hall and made his life as difficult as possible. Only when they had discovered he was the great decorated General Griswald's son, had something snapped and the physical beatings had begun. What gave that scruffy little child the right to come in and because of who he was, show them all up? If anything Gus exposed their lazy attitude and sheer corruption but they weren't going to realise that. All they saw was a little rat who needed to be put in his place. Face down in the dirt.

Stepping things up, he floated over and picked up a small but significantly heavy weight sitting on Gus's bed and rolled it around his large hands. He decided to really put the boot in and walked over and hovered over the boy. He pushed out his hand and held the weight above Gus's arm, his whole face seeming to be clouded with an uncontrollable desire to cause real, actual damage.

He released his tightly wound fingers from the weight and it quickly dropped through the air, ascererating down and landing with a snap on Gus's arm. He howled in pain as his bone cracking was the loudest noise in the room. He truly expressed his pain, tears as much as he attempted to suppress leaked from his tightly shut eyes. The older man hovered next to him and felt a sick love of causing pain. He lifted Gus's chin with a single finger and forced the boy to look at him, the fright in his eyes giving him an even sickier buzz.

"You were using the weight, it slipped and landed on your arm. Got that?"

Gus couldn't say a thing for the pain coursing through his blood which made the man growl and squeeze his palm, drawing blood from Gus's lips as he tightened his grip.

"_Got that?!"_

"Yes."

"Yes _sir__?!"_

"_Yes…__**sir."**_

He finally released his jaw and Gus, defeated by the pain that was stronger than he had ever felt before collapsed to the ground, lying pathetically in a pool of his attackers spit and his own blood. He stood over him, loving it all before turning and with a click of his fingers, walked out the barracks followed by his army of obidient soldiers.

Gus knew his arm was broken. There was no way round it. He squirmed until eventually succeeding to the pain and blacked out. He woke up in the hospital ward hours later. He was instantly scoulded by other officers and Gus had no option but to accept it as his own fault. He had been right about his broken arm but it seemed to be serious, something about his tendons snapped so he was being realesed for temporaily leave in order to allow it to heal. He felt an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Despite what had been happening since he first arrived, he loved everything about being in the army. He had finally found something he was exceptionally good at. Military operations were in his blood and he felt a tremendous feeling of pride when he always came first in training activities. But now that was being taken away from him. It remembered him so much of school.

The victim.

Always the victim.

He had thrown himself into training, much to the downfall of his academic studies which had suffered. He wasn't the brightest bulb but he was no dummy. He only stayed at school in order to get a brief education, enough for him to fall back on. Though, he knew the army was his prime calling in life. And as he sat on the bus back home, his arm in a sling, he looked out the window miserable about going home. He could see them all training in the distance, running and climbing the obstacle courses. He frowned when he saw one of his rivals cross the finish line, fist pumping the air as he knew he was number one for the first time ever. The bus drew further away, until the U.S Army base was a speck in the distance. He turned away and closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because when he woke up, he was being jabbed by the bus driver who looked annoyed.

"Hey, kid! Get off! We're at the city bus terminal! Hurry up!"

He blinked and stumbled, attempting to sling his duffel slack over his shoulder which was more difficult than he expected. He hadn't had many broken bones in the past, mainly because he avoided conflict and perhaps, was a coward at times. Those days were done or so he thought when he got a flash back to his squirming on the floor. He was in deep thought so wasn't aware of the woman of instantly threw her arm around his shoulders as he took one step off the bus.

"MY LITTLE GUS! I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HOME!" his mother squealed and the light splashes confirmed that she was once again crying. She instantly took his bag off him and led him away to the car. He dragged his feet, taking a look over his shoulder. Boys wearing the same khaki uniform were seen stepping onto the bus, that same twinkle of adventure in their eyes that Gus processed. Not today however.

"You're father wanted me to turn your room into something more useful" his mother casually spoke as she reversed the car out of the parking space. "He said you wouldn't be home enough to use it but I said, no! My little Gus will need his room exactly the way he left it. I couldn't possibly think of getting rid of a single…"

"You probably should mom" he objected, itching at his arm and grunted at how difficult it was because of the cast.

"But Gus…"

"I'm not going to home for long and then I won't be back until well after Christmas, even perhaps not then. It's a full time job mother. You understand. It's important."

She paused for a second, her bottom lip wobbling until her lips clamped shut and her eyes narrowed.

"You're just like him" she whispered so quietly but something about the words felt more complicated than what they suggested.

They drew to a halt at the traffic lights. They waited for the red light to turn green, with only his mother's light finger tapping on the wheel being the only sound in the car. The silence was horrible and Gus sighed, needing some fresh air suddenly.

"I'm going to walk home" he said suddenly and before she could protest, he stepped out of the car and walked to the pavement. His mother was about to open the door and shout for him to come back when the lights turned from amber to green and other cars behind her started honking for her to go. She shook her head and drove onwards, thinking about how much her son was like his father, prioritising work.

And she knew he would never know how it killed him.

Gus walked slowly along the sidewalk. His uniform attracted attention from the stragglers on the pavement. It was the kind of attention Gus had always dreamt of. They looked at him with admiration, with one man drawing up next to him in his car and nodded and saluted at him. He nodded and kept walking, smiling for the first time that day.

He walked alongside a fence, a fence that separated him from the infamous 3rd Street School. Her paused at the fence and looked in, looking in from the outside. A small wind blew past him, sending a chill down his neck. He spotted a girl a short distance away, swinging on the swings. She drew her legs back, propelling herself forward and forward. She was able to reach a fair height with hardly any effort. He chuckled slightly as he pondered if she would go over the top. She swung higher and higher until the wind got stronger and blew the hat she was wearing off her head. She seemed to freeze up and her legs stopped. She scrapped her heels off the ground, the swing flailing outwards and inwards until finally wobbling to a stop. She looked around herself until finally clocking eyes on the hat flying in the breeze in Gus's direction.

It stopped directly in front of him, on the playground side of the fence. He bent down and stuck his hand through the gap in the fence with his good arm and picked it up. As she ran towards him, Gus had to admit he thought something was familiar about her run. It was very athletic and boyish for a girl. It reminded him of someone.

"Here…" he said in his gruff voice. She reached out through the fence to take her hat. She bowed her head and positioned her medium lengthened black hair around her hat, covering her face. She stood up and went to thank him but when he saw her face and she saw his, they both seemed to pause.

"Spinelli…"

"Gus…"

They stood facing each other on either sides of the fence, both looking a little started by each other's appearance at the old playground.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired, folding her arms across what Gus couldn't ignore was a significantly developed chest. Gus had wondered how long he had exactly been away but then reminded himself that summer was a time for change and clearly, as they had done Spinelli had changed too.

"I'm home on leave. Shouldn't you be in school?"

"No" she said and Gus wondered why she wasn't elaborating. She looked upset. Maybe she had been here swinging, trying to avoid thinking about whatever was bothering her. He changed the subject.

"I saw you were playing on the swings…"

"Yeah, so?" she shrugged her shoulders defensively.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Don't see why not?"

He walked around until the entrance of the fence ran into the playground and followed her to where she was already swinging. He watched her gain height for a brief moment before hopping on the swing beside her. They swung, backwards and forwards, sometimes reaching the same height and others where Gus's now long legs would extend him further. She turned her head, with an amused smile and said "Not bad for a guy with a broken arm".

"It's just a broken arm. It's not like I'm broken altogether."

"How did that happen anyhow?"

"Accident"

"Sounds tough, the army."

"A little…but I like it. I can't wait to get back."

"I wish I had somewhere to get away to. Get away from here."

"Why would you want to get away?"

Before she could reply, she jumped from the seat, her body sinking through the thin air. He watched her fly, thinking she looked really majestic like the wild eagle, soaring free as her arms spread out, guiding her down safely to the sand at the edge of the swings. She hit the ground with a soft bump, her palm pressed down to help her. She smiled, seeming less tense because of that. She turned round and smiled.

"What did you say? I wasn't listening…"

"You never listened to me anyway" he shrugged, with a laugh.

"That's not entirely true. I did listen, do listen. Just a lot of the time you talked a load of crap" she grabbed hold of the poles at the side of the swing and lifted her feet, hanging in the air.

"Like everything you say was completely relevant."

"More relevant than whatever you said small fry."

"Pft" he rolled his eyes and stood up. She dropped her feet and took a good hard look at Gus. She realised she would need a new nickname for him, especially now with the extra height and muscles. His body seemed fit perfectly in his admiring uniform but yet seemed to tighten, unable to hide his upper arms in particular.

"Not think you've overdone it a little bit" she challenged, crossing her arms.

"It's the army. Every extra muscle means an extra advantage that the opposition doesn't have"

"Big surprise you joining the army don't you think?" she said a bit sarcastically, walking away from the swings.

"It's something I wanted to do. I'm sure if TJ wanted to join the army, you'd be less sarcastic…"

"No, actually I'd be more sarcastic" she spun round and spat out, her fists suddenly curling up.

"What's wrong?" he shook his head. He knew something was wrong with the feisty teen. What could have happened in the time he was gone?

"Nothing" she said quietly as she turned. "I'm going home. Bye Gus."

"Wait…" he called after her but she kept walking. He called over the wind.

"You want to climb Old Rusty?"

She stopped, her feet on the very edge of the tarmac. She turned round and even from the small distance he could see her smile.

They sat on the very top of the familiar climbing frame. She dangled her legs over the side, wiggling them freely as she ran her hand along the smooth metal framework. He leaned against the small walls at the top of the Jungle Gym, one leg up against his chest.

"I'm surprised you were able to get up here with one arm" she said, much less tense than before.

"Climbing the slide was always my favourite way of getting up here. Though, it was always a gamble of whether someone was coming down as you were going up…"

"Remember the time Mikey was coming down and practically bowled you over?"

"Yeah, yeah" he laughed and she joined in, her hair bouncing off her shoulder. They turned their attention to the west where they noticed the sky light up red, with the descending ball of fire that was setting for another day.

"I can- not believe you thought you could live here once. How stupid could you be?"

"Hey! I didn't see you telling me otherwise!"

"Well, maybe I wanted to see you fail miserably…" she rolled her eyes and shook out her tongue playfully.

"Yeah, you liked seeing people fail that's for sure"

"Don't be like that" she said swinging her legs out and crawling up next to him. "I didn't mean it. You know what I'm like"

"Yeah…sure I do…"

"You don't seem sure…"

"I haven't been sure of you guys for a long time"

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head in between them.

"You're right" she sighed. "Things have changed"

"Do you still see anyone anymore?"

"I have classes with TJ, Mikey and Vince this semester…"

"And Gretchen?"

"Well naturally Gretchen is far too smart to be in any of my classes" she scoffed, blowing a black strand of hair out of her face annoyingly.

"What about outside school?"

"I go to TJ's, for school projects and stuff. Gretchen tutors me…for a small fee" she wrinkled her nose.

"She charges you?"

"Apparently that scientific calculator she always wanted isn't cheap"

He screwed his face up and then dropped it into his hand.

"And Vince?"

"I see him sometimes with Lawson"

"I never understood that friendship" he shook his head.

"Me neither. He's such a pain. But I don't know, Vince seems different these days. I saw him making out with an Ashley at Lawson's party the other day…"

"Seriously?" he said, his mouth falling open. "An Ashley? What one?"

"Ashley Q"

"I thought that. I think Vince always had a little thing for Ashley Q anyway."

"Well that was pretty obvious, even to a dimwit like you Gus" she laughed.

"Yeah, yeah…" he smiled, finally watching the sunset. She moved out and sat next to him, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Are you staying for long?"  
"Probably a month or two. How long you suspended from school for?"  
"How did…"

He shrugged. "It's you. What did you do? Gratifi the girls bathroom or something?"

"No…but I have thought about that so many times. I know I'd be able to make it look 10000 times better!"

"I'm not going to disagree there...not like I've ever been in the girl's bathroom"

"Still scared of the big bad girl's room little Gus?"  
He turned his head slowly, eyebrows raised in a very menacing fashion.

"What did you call me?"

"Little, wittle…Gus?" she changed her voice, pouting her lips sarcastically and laughing, her bright eyes full of life. She enjoyed this, the banter. It was like the old days.

"I don't think you should call me that…"

"Oh…why not…little Gussy?"

"Don't try me Spinelli"

"Why?" she teased, crouching up on her knees, walking over like a monkey on her palms, smirking like an amused child. She crouched in front of him, only leaning slightly over to the entrance to the long winding slide.

"Because I'm much, much stronger than what I used to be"  
"I still think I could take you" she hit back, sneering her eyes at him, sensing how she was so easily able to push buttons.

"I can bench like triple, no quadruple what I used to"  
"…which is zero because you were always such a weakling!"

"That's it" he hissed and launched himself at her, catching her in the gut. She "off-ed" as she was slightly winded for a mere minute before picking herself up and throwing herself back, locking him into a headlock…or at least, attempting to. His body wasn't nearly as puny as it used to be and she struggled to get her small arms around him, something he chuckled at. He grabbed her by the shoulder and lightly pushed her around, her body sliding all around the metal square of the Jungle Jim. She gave a strong war cry and decided enough was enough and went for her perfected finisher, throwing herself onto his back and gripping around his neck. He wrestled around, thrashing like a wild animal but at the same time, their laughter was carried far into the night by the wind.

"Quit it!"  
"SURRENNDER!"  
"Never!"  
He bashed her back, not once or twice but three times on the wall, each time moving up a little from the wall and closer to the gap near the slide. On the 4th time, she screamed as her back didn't hit with the wall but instead slipping off it, propelling them both down the slippery slide. Spinelli screamed as she slid down backwards but they changed places several times, with each other desperately reaching out with trembling fingers to hold onto as they made the terrifying descent. She jumped over him and saw where she was going as the slide dipped once more, her stomach lurching. When she finally thought she had enough of surprises, she realised she'd forgotten about the way the slide simply catapaulted their victim's off at the end, sending them flying in the sand below.  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

They flew off, their hands covering their faces to avoid sharp impact with the ground. Gus hit the ground first but thankfully, his stiff broad body wasn't damaged too much. He tumbled through the air, eventurally landing on his back. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"WATCH OUT…"

Spinelli, who he'd forgotten was still making her way through the air, landed on top of him, forcing his body to roll over. They rolled together, at a fast pace so they found themselves grinding to a halt on the tarmac. Spinelli, with hair thrown all across her face could see nothing but a large black blob in front of her. She felt a weight pressing down on her and lifted her hands to press it away from her, pushing her hands into Gus's chest. He lay collapsed, hands placed on either side of her face. Her pushing at his chest was so futile that she gave up, unashamedly allowing him to push her body into the tarmac. No one was around anyway.

"You know…you were right" she said, after lying in silence for a few defeated moments.

"About what?" he grumbled, his face buried in her sweatshirt.

"You have got bigger…you definitely were never this fat!"

"And you're just as lippy as always…" he shook his head, finally lifting his body off of hers. She laughed, taking the hand he offered to her, letting him pull her up onto her feet. He noted the street lights suddenly going on and made a comment about needing to get home.

"…before I get grounded" he joked and she laughed a little harder than what she should have but he didn't notice. She was glad he said he'd walk her home, thinking that this 'past from the blast' had definitely boasted her spirits. She walked with him into the night, laughing and feeling more like the good old Spinelli…unaware of the baseball-capped teen standing watching from the other side of the fence, his face clouded and his heart whenching, for a reason he couldn't place. He watched them go, before turning and standing in the centre of the playground, letting his own memories he fought thinking about consume him.

_TJ YOUR SO GREAT! TJ YOU'RE THE BEST! TJ, TJ, TJ!_

He sank to the ground, closing his eyes, begging, beginning for everything to go back to how they were. Please, please. Bring it all back.


End file.
